Trump's 'erratic' tariffs undermine economy, House Democrat says

Isabelle Lee, Christina Ruffini and Jeff Mason, Bloomberg News on Sep 6, 2026

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Democratic Representative Haley Stevens blasted the “erratic” tariff war that President Donald Trump started with Canada, saying her home state of Michigan is bearing much of the economic fallout from the trade dispute.

“They are really exhausted,” Stevens said on Bloomberg Television’s Bloomberg "This Weekend," referring to Michiganders. “We’ve been paying the price in our pocketbooks with job uncertainty and we pulled back on investment, billions of dollars of investments lost in Michigan.”

The latest round of tit-for-tat tariffs began last month, when the Trump administration imposed 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods after trade talks collapsed on Aug. 21. Canada responded with retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods set to take effect on Sept. 8, and it’s unclear whether the two countries will reopen negotiations anytime soon.

“We’re ready to sit down and strike that deal when the Americans are ready,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters last week, though he reiterated that Canada will reject any deal that substantially weakens its auto and metals industries.

Michigan’s economy relies heavily on cross-border trade and the auto industry, making it particularly vulnerable to the dispute. Canada was Michigan’s largest export market in 2025 with exports totaling $23 billion, according to data from the International Trade Administration, while Canada was the state’s second-largest import partner at $43 billion, just behind Mexico.

The latest exchange of tariffs is seen as disproportionately hurting states that Trump relied on to win the 2024 election, fueling concern within the Republican Party that it might lose control of both the House and the Senate in the November midterm elections as a result.

“I am worried about automotive,” said Stevens, who narrowly lost the state’s Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat to progressive Abdul El-Sayed. She cited challenges for the state’s major employers such as Canadian auto parts supplier Magna International Inc. and Ford Motor Co.

“Now, all we get from industrial policy from these guys is these erratic tariffs,” she said. “We don’t know what we’re going to wake up to.”

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